Yellow Fever News and Research

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Yellow fever virus, a flavivirus, is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Illness ranges in severity from a self-limited febrile illness to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever. Yellow fever disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings, laboratory testing, and the possibility of exposure to infected mosquitoes. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever; care is based on symptoms. Steps to prevent yellow fever include use of insect repellent, protective clothing, and vaccination. Yellow fever occurs in tropical regions of Africa and in parts of South America. Yellow fever is a very rare cause of illness in U.S. travelers. The last epidemic of yellow fever in North America occurred in New Orleans in 1905.

Scientists evaluate reliability of Zika virus diagnostics

Globally, Brazil has been the hardest hit by the current Zika outbreak. Almost all cases of Zika-associated malformations in newborns have been reported from this country

2 Mar 2018

Compounds isolated from rattlesnake's venom show promise to fight against hepatitis C

A group of Brazilian scientists achieved promising results using isolated compounds from the venom of the South American rattlesnake in combat of hepatitis C.

8 Feb 2018

Mosquitoes can rapidly learn and remember the smell of hosts, study shows

Your grandmother's insistence that you receive more bug bites because you're 'sweeter' may not be that far-fetched after all, according to pioneering research from Virginia Tech scientists.

25 Jan 2018

Researchers find link between genetic molecules in mosquitos and dengue fever

Researchers at the University of Missouri have found a link between genetic molecules in mosquitos and dengue fever.

25 Jan 2018

Scientists methodically identify genes related to blood feeding and non-biting mosquitoes

Researchers have taken the first step on a path that eventually could result in female mosquitoes that no longer bite and spread diseases.

19 Jan 2018

Scientists unravel mystery of how immune cells remember infections decades later

A perplexing question in immunology has been, how do immune cells remember an infection or a vaccination so that they can spring into action decades later? Research led by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with investigators at Emory University, has found an answer: A small pool of the same immune cells that responded to the original invasion remain alive for years, developing unique features that keep them primed and waiting for the same microbe to re-invade the body.

14 Dec 2017

New insights into mosquito sex protein could provide strategies to control diseases

If you thought the sex lives of humans were complicated, consider the case of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, bringer of Zika, dengue, and yellow fever: She mates but once, in seconds and on the wing, with one lucky male; spurns all further advances from other potential suitors; and stores enough sperm from that single encounter to lay more than 500 eggs, which she nourishes with the blood of human hosts.

13 Dec 2017

Scientists discover specific mechanism of Zika virus-associated microcephaly

Epidemiological studies show that in utero fetal infection with the Zika virus (ZIKV) may lead to microcephaly, an irreversible congenital malformation of the brain characterized by an incomplete development of the cerebral cortex.

11 Dec 2017

Investigational ZPIV vaccine found to be safe and immunogenic in trial participants

The investigational Zika purified inactivated virus (ZPIV) vaccine was well-tolerated and induced an immune response in participants, according to initial results from three Phase 1 clinical trials.

5 Dec 2017

ICG provides 1.4 million vaccine doses to control yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria

The International Coordinating Group on vaccine provision for yellow fever has provided 1.4 million vaccine doses for an immunization campaign that starts on Saturday (2 December) to help control an ongoing yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria.

5 Dec 2017

CRISPR shows potential to reduce diseases spread by mosquitoes

Research at the University of California, Riverside, have shown that it is possible for transgenic mosquitos to stably express the Cas9 enzyme in their germline. Cas9 addition will allow the utilization of the CRISPR gene editing tool to carry out efficient and highly targeted changes to the DNA of the mosquitoes.

16 Nov 2017

UCR researchers develop transgenic mosquitoes to help reduce spread of infectious diseases

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have developed transgenic mosquitoes that stably express the Cas9 enzyme in their germline. The addition of Cas9 will enable the use of the CRISPR gene editing tool to make efficient, targeted changes to the mosquitoes' DNA.

14 Nov 2017

WHO supports Nigerian Government’s immunization efforts against yellow fever

The Government of Nigeria has launched a campaign to immunize 873 837 people against yellow fever in the states of Kwara and Kogi.

19 Oct 2017

New serotypes of Zika virus could appear in near future, researcher cautions

Zika virus is mutating so fast in Brazilian patients that different serotypes of the pathogen could appear in the near future, as is already the case with dengue virus. This would hinder the production of a vaccine and impair the effectiveness of the diagnostic tests already developed.

10 Oct 2017

New paper-based test can diagnose Zika infection within 20 minutes

MIT researchers have developed a paper-based test that can diagnose Zika infection within 20 minutes. Unlike existing tests, the new diagnostic does not cross-react with Dengue virus, a close relative of the Zika virus that can produce false positives on many Zika tests.

27 Sep 2017

UF professor suggests steps for controlling mosquitoes after hurricane

Hurricane Irma left a lot of standing water in the yards and homes of Florida residents. So, a University of Florida researcher suggests steps for making sure your home doesn't become a haven for mosquitoes.

15 Sep 2017

Scientists make significant discovery in efforts to develop vaccine against global pathogens

Scientists at the University of Southampton have made a significant discovery in efforts to develop a vaccine against Zika, dengue and Hepatitis C viruses that affect millions of people around the world.

15 Sep 2017

JWARG begins study to identify suspected severe infectious diseases in West Africa

The Joint West Africa Research Group began a study today designed to identify cases of suspected severe infectious disease at medical centers in West Africa. The study is being led by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

13 Sep 2017

Bacteria in aquatic environment can modulate the ability of adult mosquitoes to transmit human pathogens

Mosquitoes are holometabolous insects (i.e. organisms that go through a complete metamorphosis). As such, they occupy two main habitats during their life cycle.

7 Sep 2017

Vaccination efforts in poor countries prevent 20 million deaths, provide economic benefits

Vaccination efforts made in the world's poorest countries since 2001 will have prevented 20 million deaths and saved $350 billion in health-care costs by 2020, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

1 Sep 2017